Woman Suspected In Pepper Spray Melee At Walmart Surrenders

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A woman believed to have used pepper spray on shoppers Friday at a Walmart store in Porter Ranch has reportedly turned herself into authorities.

Police confirmed to CBS2 that a woman turned herself into officers at the LAPD’s Devonshire Station about 8:30 p.m. Friday. Following her surrender, the woman was questioned and released pending further investigation.

The incident, which left nearly 20 shoppers with minor injuries, occurred about 10:20 p.m. Thursday shortly after an XBOX display was unveiled at the store.

Cell phone video obtained by CBS2 shows the chaos that ensued after the suspect fired pepper spray at the shoppers.

The victims, who mostly complained of stinging in their eyes, were treated at the scene.

“It was a burning feeling in my throat for me. There was a lot of people who got it in their eyes. They were burning, they were screaming, crying,” shopper Juan Castro told CBS2.

“I’ve done Black Fridays for the last couple of years now and I’ve never seen anything this crazy,” David Castro, another victim, said.

A Walmart spokesman says they had more than adequate security. In a statement released, the company says:

“It was an unfortunate situation but we’re glad everyone is okay. We’re working with law enforcement to provide security video and information.”